Ex-Penn State basketball player Joonas Suotamo takes over full-time role as Star Wars’ Chewbacca

We are … Wookiees? Penn State now has a connection to the most famous furry character from a galaxy far, far away.

Joonas Suotamo, a former Penn State basketball player, is taking over the role as Chewbacca in the Star Wars franchise. Peter Mayhew, the original Chewie, had to leave the role because of health problems.

The official announcement came Tuesday when Suotamo was listed as the lone actor who would play Chewbacca in the upcoming Han Solo movie. Suotamo, a 6-foot-10 Finland native, studied film at Penn State and was a body double as Chewbacca in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and the yet-to-be-released “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

Suotamo will be the full-time Chewbacca moving forward, and he wrote a message to fans on Twitter.